The third day of the Carey Conference 2007 lived up to the promise of the first two days. Bruce Ware spoke again on 'Is Jesus the only way of salvation?' This was a little less well structured than the previous message so it was difficult to fit all the material in. An interesting introduction mentioned John Wesley, C S Lewis, Terence Tiessen (Who can be saved?) and Clark Pinnock as inclusivists. We spent some time looking at passages such as John 3:16-18, Lk 24:4-49; Rom 10; Acts 10, 11 - a favourite with Pinnock but also with Dr Ware for other reasons! This left little time to deal with key objections - in light of the example of OT believers, pious non-Christians, God's love and justice and the salvation of infants. (It became apparent that several American Baptists today including Dr Ware himself are happy to say that all infants dying in infancy are regenerate. Even if we take this view it does not affect the inclusive question).
It was my privilege to chair the next session for Ken Brownell (East London Tabernacle) who spoke on Multi-cultural churches. From Acts 11 he drew attention to the surprising conversions, courageous communication, remarkable congregation and practical compassion at Antioch, arguing for heterogeneous rather than homogeneous churches as advocated by the church growth folk. A useful discussion followed, suggesting unity on the issue but recognising the difficulties.
After lunch Mick Lockwood (Haworth) spoke on Do the work of an evangelist. Sometimes a good conference can end on a damp squib. Not this time. In a very winsome manner Mick probed ministers on this, helpfully gleaning from Luke 10 what it might entail . He suggested that the command is disobeyed because we are too busy, fail to understand what preaching really is and because of our personal sin. It must be obeyed, however, chiefly because this is the way to true Christlike holiness. That last point is a very telling one.
It was my privilege to chair the next session for Ken Brownell (East London Tabernacle) who spoke on Multi-cultural churches. From Acts 11 he drew attention to the surprising conversions, courageous communication, remarkable congregation and practical compassion at Antioch, arguing for heterogeneous rather than homogeneous churches as advocated by the church growth folk. A useful discussion followed, suggesting unity on the issue but recognising the difficulties.
After lunch Mick Lockwood (Haworth) spoke on Do the work of an evangelist. Sometimes a good conference can end on a damp squib. Not this time. In a very winsome manner Mick probed ministers on this, helpfully gleaning from Luke 10 what it might entail . He suggested that the command is disobeyed because we are too busy, fail to understand what preaching really is and because of our personal sin. It must be obeyed, however, chiefly because this is the way to true Christlike holiness. That last point is a very telling one.
So with mind stirred and heart warmed we headed back south (courtesy of Henry and Vicky Dixon) eager, in words quoted by Mick from Spurgeon to 'do something; do something; do something'.
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